waterfall shower

[jughead]

I have seen photos of a shower dispenser that is best described as a curved piece of metal with a rectangular opening that water just pours out of, much as if someone tipped a 5 gallon bucket of water on your head; it is dispensed similar to water pouring over a waterfall. What is this type of "showerhead" called and who makes them ? I would either like to purchase one or make my own, or have one made by a local welding shop. The shower stall that I am building is 5' x 5' and the ceiling varies from 9' to 12' at its highest point, so i am thinking that in addition to a conventional shower head that an open trough of some sort would suit the shower. Please help me with the nomenclature and
possibly where I might be able to acquire one.
Thanks.

 

[Mr_David]

Like this?

The second one is Kohler.

TRY Google search " Waterfall shower heads "

That is some serious water flow.

 

[jughead]

Yessss !! Those are the ones !! Thanks. I thought I did enter "waterfall shower heads" but couldn't find them; I'll try again. You mentioned the 2nd one was Kohler; what is the brand for first one ?
Thanks much.
David

 

[RR60]

For that second one you are going to need one large water supply line and water heater.

 

[jughead]

Yeah, I think that one might be a bit much although it is very appealing. I started a search under "waterfall shower heads" and discovered that there are combination rainfall / waterfall heads so I think I'm on the right track, thanks to your help. I think I can do some experimenting and come up with a diy model which would basically be a head with no spray holes, the analogy being a bucket with a hole in it. I'm sure I can come up with something.
Thanks.

 

[RR60]

Yeah, I think that one might be a bit much although it is very appealing. I started a search under "waterfall shower heads" and discovered that there are combination rainfall / waterfall heads so I think I'm on the right track, thanks to your help. I think I can do some experimenting and come up with a diy model which would basically be a head with no spray holes, the analogy being a bucket with a hole in it. I'm sure I can come up with something.
Thanks.

Yes I would test something first. I know it is not something I could live with. But each to their own.

Just do a test and try taking a shower with a shower head removed. Then if you like that you maybe good to go.

 

[jughead]

Yup, it's just an auxiliary outlet; I'll have a regular showerhead, a rain head, and this one. The configuration of the ceiling will allow me to easily put in 3 outlets. It's just for fun.

 

[havasu]

You just gave the water saving Nazi's from California a heart attack!

I'd love to have one of those waterfall type spouts. Please keep us informed, and we love "after" pictures!

 

[jughead]

After studying what is available on the internet, none of them appear to produce much volume so I'm thinking of fabricating one out of 3" pipe maybe 12" to 16" long with a slit cut from end to end and capped at each end with a water inlet (or maybe an inlet on each side); the slit would be just below horizontal center so that the pipe could fill up then spill water out from the slit; there would be a few small relief holes to drain the excess water when the unit is shut off so that water does not stagnate in the "showerhead" pipe. I've always had success in coming up with a plan, then letting it jell for days or weeks or even months and new, better ideas usually materialize, so this is just my starting point. Most of the units for sale are very reasonably priced, but they don't seem to produce much volume (of course, when this is all said and done, the cost of water will probably end up being prohibitively expensive especially since in my location, sewer fees are tied to water consumption, and the water bill could end up being somewhat substantial. But hey, fun things are usually expensive anyway and since it will be mounted in the ceiling, I can always just cap off the inlet pipe if it becomes cost prohibitive.....and, by the way, if any observers out there are wondering "why on earth would you want something like that", of course the answer is, if you don't get it, no amount of explanation will persuade you......kinda like why I own several antique cars that I rarely drive; just because.

 

[havasu]

Oh, I get it. You also might check out some pool builders catalogs. They use waterfall features all the time.

 

[TomFOhio]

After studying what is available on the internet, none of them appear to produce much volume so I'm thinking of fabricating one out of 3" pipe maybe 12" to 16" long with a slit cut from end to end and capped at each end with a water inlet (or maybe an inlet on each side); the slit would be just below horizontal center so that the pipe could fill up then spill water out from the slit; there would be a few small relief holes to drain the excess water when the unit is shut off so that water does not stagnate in the "showerhead" pipe. I've always had success in coming up with a plan, then letting it jell for days or weeks or even months and new, better ideas usually materialize, so this is just my starting point. Most of the units for sale are very reasonably priced, but they don't seem to produce much volume (of course, when this is all said and done, the cost of water will probably end up being prohibitively expensive especially since in my location, sewer fees are tied to water consumption, and the water bill could end up being somewhat substantial. But hey, fun things are usually expensive anyway and since it will be mounted in the ceiling, I can always just cap off the inlet pipe if it becomes cost prohibitive.....and, by the way, if any observers out there are wondering "why on earth would you want something like that", of course the answer is, if you don't get it, no amount of explanation will persuade you......kinda like why I own several antique cars that I rarely drive; just because. [/QUO

What kind of antique cars do you have????

 

[jughead]

I posted a reply, then lost it; 2nd try.
Thanks for the pool builder's tip, I will check their catalogs. For now, I picked up a plastic drywall taper's tray to experiment with; they sell them inexpensively in stainless steel also, so that could possibly be the final product. ideas continue to churn, as expected.
I have a '66 fastback Vette (427 4 spd numbers matching), a '31 Model A (small block, 5 speed), and a '56 Chevy wagon (small block, 4 spd). They are like the waterfall showerhead; you don't use them much, but when you do, you get there in a hurry.... Incidentally, for the '56 Chevy, I made the dash insert, the console, and the steering wheel out of curly Maple; that was a fun exercise, it takes a lot of steam and effort to bend Maple because it is somewhat brittle. Attached are photos.

 

[havasu]

Damn Jughead, I officially am jealous and now I hate you, especially for having that Model A and Chevy wagon.

 

[TomFOhio]

WOW !!!! You have some nice looking cars. I especially like the Model A Ford. I have a 1930 Del Town Sedan but mine is not souped up. The fastest I ever had it was 50 mph. LOL

 

[jughead]

Yeah, they're all kind of hot roddish and the bodies are okay, but far from perfect. I've found that if you own a show car, you will never ever drive it and will wince anytime anyone comes close to it and heaven forbid if a bird flies overhead and bombs it, so mine are all drivers and if they get nicked, it's not the end of the world and I doubt that I'll get ulcers but will still have fun with them. The Vette will do 0 - 60 in under 6 seconds but the Model A is faster and it's just like the Beachboys' song, "I get pushed out of shape, and it's hard to steer", and that is very true, it is not the safest thing around. I, like a lot of guys, grew up racing on the streets and blocking off the highway for midnight races and it's kind of in my blood; once all the kids were out of college and the like, I figured there was no use just dreaming about the cars I loved, so I decided to just do it. Glad I did.
Havasu, JUST DO IT ! You can't take it with you and the worst of all thoughts are : "I wish I had.....". Life is short. Gotta go for the waterfall showerhead !
TomFOhio, your antique is just gorgeous! But I bet parts are a real headache!

 

[havasu]

I still have a serious eye on my neighbor's car that he wants to sell me.

 

[jughead]

Oh, what a beauty ! And it's a 2 door; is it steel or fiberglass ? No bumpers required for street use ? I see the gas cap but I assume that is just for show and the tank is located elsewhere ? Buy it !!!!
Aloha.

 

[havasu]

No glass, all steel. I've done some pricing with some local collectors and car clubs who say the Model A's have lost great value recently, as much as 25-30% because they are restoring them as fast as possible, and have flooded the market.

 

[jughead]

That could well be true especially because of all the televised auctions and hot rod programs out there. But I've never been overly concerned with market value because it's all relative to how much you would pay to satisfy a craving of the heart. Look at it this way: each person that owned the car invested more in parts and labor than market value would bear and usually, if you're buying a finished project, you could not possibly build the car for the price you are paying. Each guy who modified the car to include power steering, disc brakes, AC, a new trans, a crate engine, dual quads, or whatever, installed it in the car, but did not get the money returned in general market value; the last guy reaps all those rewards from each guy along the way; and unless the price is outrageous, no one except you can put a price tag on the smile it brings to your face and how your heart skips a beat every time you rev that engine or listen to the throbbing cam just before you punch it out and hear the engine scream at 5000 rpm. And if you ever get tired of it (unlikely, most guys get rid of the car because the wife is always grumbling, not because they tire of the toy) and sell it for less than you paid, so what ? That's just the cost of having fun. When you go on a vacation, it puts a smile on your face, but you never get any money back; and you may have fun on a trip, but I doubt that your heart jumps quite the same way as when you start the engine or install that new set of triple carbs. As long as you don't overpay drastically, the market value drop is just the price of having a good time...all the time....everyday and every minute... not just now and then, but all the time. Just do it, and if you aren't happy, just sell it and pay the small price (in market drop) for the fun you had while you owned it.
Every now and then, I think about getting rid of a car then go out and look at it and fuss around with it, and rarely go through with the sale after all. I recently put my Model A up for sale after a friend who wanted to buy the car had an emergency and couldn't go through with the deal and when guys started calling, I got seller's remorse and didn't even return any of the numerous calls that came in; I couldn't come up with a reason to sell the car and never showed it to any prospective buyers. I love it more than I have reasons to get rid of it.
Just do it.
Good luck.

 

[RenewDave]

All I have is a Sprinter van full of plumbing parts, not nearly as cool as all those cars. But I’ll chime in on the shower part. You can manufacture almost any kind of of outlet but really you will be limited the the GPM of the valve supplying it. If you have a Moentrol or similar valve, your maximum is about 4.6gpm. So, to visualize that, take that 5 gallon bucket full of water and dump it slowly for one minute. That’s what your outlet would look like. I thin’ what you want to do is more of a math problem than a plumbing problem.